MILWAUKEE — Neighbors near 83rd and Burleigh tell TMJ4 they saw the aftermath of a fiery crash Tuesday evening.
Police say the crash was a result of a police chase that began on the 1900 block of W. Center Street. Officers say they spotted a car wanted in connection to an armed robbery and tried to stop the driver. The chase ended when that driver lost control of the car and crashed into a tree near 83rd and Burleigh, on Milwaukee's northwest side.
Emergency crews responded to that area just before 6 p.m. after reports of the car catching fire. The driver, an 18-year-old man, and a front seat passenger, a 14-year-old girl, had to be extricated from the vehicle. Three additional passengers, a 20-year-old man, a 20-year-old woman, and a 19-year-old woman, were arrested. Police also found several guns in the car. All five were taken to the hospital for treatment and criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.
Hours later, even after law enforcement had reopened the roadway, car parts and cones still lined the street.
Liddell Henley lives only a few houses down from where the crash happened, and says the sight was "unbelievable."
"It was almost like watching a horror movie or something, because stuff like that, you very seldom get a chance to see," Henley said.
He says he was in his living room and heard the chaos before seeing it.
"I heard a loud explosion, but I thought it was just a truck going through," Henley described. "At that time, I opened up the blind and looked and the car was wrapped around the tree down there, it was on fire."
He adds that after the crash, three people jumped out of the car, trying to run, before police officers caught up with them.
First responders worked to extract two others who were trapped inside the mangled car, while officers investigated the scene, working to clean up what they could.
Henley adds, he's grateful the outcome wasn't worse.
"I'm glad that tree was sitting there, because otherwise it probably would have come through into my house or my neighbor's house over there," he said.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
